Approachway for platforms of cars



L. DUFEK.

APPROACHWAY FOR PLATFORMS 0F GABS.

APPLICATION FILED AFBJD, 1920,

1,387,134. 4 PatentedAug- 9,1921,

3mm Lou/5 Dl/FE/f UNITED AIPPROAGI-IWAY FOR PLATFORMS OF CABS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

Application filed April 20, 1920. Serial 1T0. 375,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be-it known that 1, Louis Durex, a citizen of Czecho-Slovalr, and resident of Chehalis, county of Lewis, and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Approachways for Platforms of Cars, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in passage approach ways to the platforms of cars, and more particularly to the approach ways to the platforms of street and interurban cars.

The object of this improvement is to equip such cars with an extensible approach on an inclined plane in lieu of steps, to facilitate the easy entrance to such cars without the slow and laborous effort on the part of passengers seeking to obtain footing on a car step.

A further object resides in the adaptability of such an approach to serve as steps as in general usage, when the extensible application thereof is not employed.

The invention consists in the arrangement, construction and combination of parts with the platform of a car, as will be more fully described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device installed upon the platform of a car, show-- ing such device in its extensible position to receive passengers.

Fig. 2 is a similar view in elevation, showing the device contracted, thus assuming the form and relative proportions of the usual car steps.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 3-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a plan of the actuating mecha nism for contracting and extending the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts in all of the figures, the numeral 1 represents the platform of a car body and 2 represents two fixedly disposed bars that are attached to the car body at both ends by brackets 2', the side bars being placed in spaced apart relation to conform to the width of the average step of cars. These bars are preferably formed with an offset shoulder 3 on their adjacent Sides,

upon which are slidably mounted, respectively, channel bars 4, held in a rigid position by braces 9 and which engage said offset portion and are thus precluded from displacement when actuated longitudinally thereupon. l

Pivoted to the platform of the car is a step 5, to which is attached in like relation .upon its lower side, a riser 6, and immediately followed by a step and riser in like manner, the lower riser being pivoted, as herein shown, to a bracket 7 that is fix edly attached to the lower end of the slidable channel bar 4.

To actuate the slidable channel bar longitudinally upon its mounting, I have provided a rod 10 that is loosely connected to the medial portion of the lower brace 9 at one end, and pivotally attached to an arm 11 at its other end, the arm 11 being keyed or otherwise attached transversely to the crank shaft 12 that extends upwardly from beneath the platform 1 to a convenient location above, accessible to the conductor or porter of the car. In such cars where doors are provided to inclose the platform the actuating rod 10 could be attached to the crank shaft that actuates such doors and in this manner the extensible approachway and doors could be opened and closed simultaneously by the same mechanism.

' The pivot members which connect the steps and risers are so located that when the parts are extended as shown in Fig. 1, the pins which join the risers to the outer edges of the adjacent steps will lie slightly above a line drawn through the pivotal mounting points of the top step and lower riser, and the pivotal point of the central step and riser will lie slightly below this line so that when the rod 10 is drawn inwardly the steps will fold upwardly. When the steps are in contractedpo-sition they are held from being extended when weight is placed thereon by the locking of the end tooth of a spring pressed dog 14, secured to the platform by a pin 14, within one of the square cut peripheral notches 15 of a ratchet wheel 15 that is keyed onto the Shaft 12.

should the approach way not be extended, the contracted position of the approach way would providesteps in the same relative position as the steps of cars in present usage.

What I claim as new, is: 1. An extensible approach prising an inclinedly disposed base, a superstruetural body slidably mounted upon said base, a plurality of linked together steps and risers pivotally attached to the upper end of said base and to said superstructural body,-means for actuating said superstructural body whereby said entrance approach can be caused to assume either an inclined plane surface when extended or a step for- Vmation when contracted and a locking de vice for the actuating means.

2. An entrance approach for cars com prlslng a rigidly disposed base extending for cars com downwardly from the platform at an inclination to the horizontal, a superimposed structural body slidably mounted longitudinally upon said base, a plurality of linked together steps and risers having the upper section thereof pivotally attached to the upper end of said base and the lower section thereof pivotally attached to said structural body, means 01 erable from the platform and connecting with said structural body whereby said linked together 0 steps can be actuated to form an extended approach on an inclined plane or contracted into step formation and alocking device for retaining the actuating means'at a set position.- V

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 7th day of April, 1920.

LOUIS DUFEK. 

